In Our Garage with Terry Hough's VE Commodore

What work have you done on the car?

This is probably our third car that we have made.

We started off with a VK and then we made another VE and this is the newest VE as it is only a year old.

It is about a 2007 year model VE commodore but it runs the earlier motor like in a VR and a VS commodore which is an Ecotec engine.

What is its main purpose?

Basically, we just like to go out and have a bit of fun.

There is not much prize money in Speedway but we love to go out and enjoy ourselves and hopefully the car comes home neat and tidy or as best it can be with a bit of racing.

What happens after the car has been raced?

Well, normally after the boys have been racing I have got to do repairs on the car, for example we have just come back from our Australian title which was in Toowoomba which was a very big weekend and the car still needed a bit of repair work.

This is our off season now, we have about three months off, so I will be doing fibreglass repairs and mechanical bits and pieces.

Who usually drives?

If we go away, we only take the two VEs now and Brandon and Fletcher race and I am chief mechanic doing the repairs on the night that may need to be done or changing tyres to get different ratios for different tracks and basically keep the cars running most of the night.

 What is under the bonnet?

Basically, just a standard motor which comes out of a VR car.

We cannot do much to it as we are a limited class so basically all you can do to it is put a cam in it and go racing.

A cam works the lifters and timing and gives you more power.

Can you describe the interior of the car?

On the inside all you have got is a race seat with a five-point race harness and your gear stick, a steering wheel, an on/off button and a start button.

We roll around to the start, usually in the gear you are racing and once that green light drops you put your foot hard to the floor and throw it into the corner.

You get it round the corner then down the back shoot and back around the other corner and then you are back where you started from.

Is there a reason why it is so stripped back?

For less items to burn in the car if the car ever catches alight.

You cannot have any glass or plastic in the car which is why they strip all the bits and pieces out of the car.

It also makes it a little bit lighter as well.

What is on the outside of the car?

The livery on the side of the car is a bit of a tribute to Holden racing team because Holdens are no longer being made, so it is paying homage to what has been.

It is a bit of a tearaway from a couple of different makes and models that HRT used to race.

Photo: Dijo

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